Return to Sender: It’s time Ofcom sent a stronger message to delivery companies
Written by Buki Akinosho and Martha Hankins
With Black Friday and the festive season underway, many of us are relying on online shopping rather than the high street. UK parcel deliveries rose 8.3% to 3.9 billion items last year, but the delivery experience is often far from smooth. Citizens Advice has tracked consumers’ experiences with the 5 biggest parcel companies for the last 5 years, and found persistent problems. Things often go wrong, and people struggle to get support when they do.
Our latest research shows that 37% of people faced an issue with their last delivery — the highest rate in 5 years. Missing parcels, late arrivals, and parcels left in the wrong place are common. Almost half of those who try to complain have a further issue trying to resolve their problem, while trust in delivery companies hit an all-time low.
The need for regulatory protection in the parcels market
So what’s going on? With 5 years of data, we haven’t registered any significant improvements in people’s experiences. This year, Royal Mail scored highest at 3.25 out of 5, while Yodel came last with 2 stars. Since 2021 overall average scores have only improved slightly by 0.35 stars, and the number of people with delivery problems has never fallen below 1 in 3.
A big part of the problem is that many people can’t choose which company delivers their parcel, with 77% having no say in who made their last delivery. This means companies that repeatedly perform poorly face few consequences from consumer decision-making.
The regulator — Ofcom — has acknowledged some of these problems. In 2023, they produced new guidance for parcel companies on handling customer complaints and making services more accessible. But this is not being effectively enforced.
To create a truly accessible market, guidance alone isn’t enough
A clear example of these enforcement failures is around accessibility. Disabled people often rely more heavily on home deliveries, as getting to shops can be challenging. But they may also have additional requirements, like needing parcels left in a certain location or louder knocking, that parcel companies are not always responding to.
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We began highlighting these issues 6 years ago, and Ofcom did introduce a new accessibility condition in 2023. But, 2 years on, accessibility remains the lowest scoring league table category — as it has been since 2021. This year, of those who said they had an accessibility need to share:
One disabled consumer explained:
“The biggest problem is just getting companies to deliver according to my instructions. The instructions are simple: because of my disability, I can’t get to the front door quickly, so the back door is easier for me to reach. This information is stated in the delivery preference settings on my accounts with these companies, and I know the information is in their systems because of conversations I’ve had with their complaints teams.”
For people with disabilities, this isn’t a minor inconvenience — it’s a systemic failure, and a breach of Ofcom’s rules. The regulator must act to back up the condition with meaningful enforcement.
What needs to change
After 5 years of problems, the solution is clear: stronger enforcement and standardised protections for all consumers.
1. Greater transparency: Ofcom should report on its accessibility data for individual companies, as it already does for complaints. More transparency on the best and worst performers will incentivise companies to up their game on accessibility processes.
2. Equal protections: Currently, only Royal Mail as the postal Universal Service Provider must comply with Essential Condition 1, which protects mail from loss, damage, or theft. Royal Mail has placed first or second in the league table every year. We believe all parcel operators should follow the same rules to ensure consistent service for every consumer.
3. Standardised complaints processes: This year’s league table finds over a third of people who experienced an issue when resolving a problem with their last delivery were unsatisfied with the outcome. But for many, their options are limited. Only Royal Mail and DHL eCommerce currently offer Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), where an independent party helps resolve disputes between consumer and company. Standardising this across parcel companies would address some of the challenges for people trying to resolve delivery disputes.
4. Back guidance with enforcement: Although Ofcom issued new guidance around complaints and accessibility in 2023, we’re not seeing the impact. Only 2 companies have improved customer service scores since then, and accessibility continues to be the lowest scoring category. This is now a question of compliance and enforcement. Ofcom needs to be identifying poor performers and issuing penalties wherever appropriate.
Parcel delivery isn’t just about convenience — it’s about access to a whole range of goods and services. Missed or mishandled deliveries can cause real hardship, especially for people with disabilities and/or limited mobility. Consumers deserve a service that delivers reliably, respects accessibility needs, and offers fair complaints resolution processes. Ofcom’s new guidance has laid the foundation, but it must now follow through with enforcement so the system finally delivers for all.
